Most Baffling Complaint of a Star Wars Movie

People complain a lot about Star Wars movies. Some justified, some not as much. This is for the latter.

Some ground rules:

This is NOT the thread for you to make your own complaints

This is NOT the thread for you to talk about praise for the films that is baffling

This is NOT a place for you to talk about complaints you merely disagree with. This is for complaints that, try as you hard as you can, you simply cannot understand

With that said, here’s mine for each live action film

SWLuke doesn’t mourn his aunt and uncle’s death. This is silly to me. We see he’s clearly broken up about it, then we cut away and when we cut back some time has passed, but he’s still broken up about it and because of it has decided to move on and join the fight against the Empire.

ESBVader being Luke’s father turns it into a soap opera. Star Wars was mythic from the start and this seems to fit that pretty well, amongst other things. This is not a hard one to defend.

ROTJLapti Nek is a pointless musical number. I think it must be the extended Jedi Rocks that colors this complaint, but actually in the theatrical Lapti Nek is not really a musical number at all, and doesn’t have anymore emphasis on it than the Cantina Band’s song. Much like that, it’s a good way to paint the picture of Jabba’s seedy palace.

TPMThat Darth is a title, not a name. I mean, why the hell not? First of all, it’s a solid portmanteau (“Dark Lord of the Sith”). Second of all, maybe this is just me, but I think Darth is kind of a funny name, but works fine as a title. Also, despite what people say, there is nothing in the OT that would suggest this shouldn’t be the case.

AOTCThe forbidden love angle to the romance. Execution aside, I like the concept of Jedi being forbidden from having attachments, and I think Anakin feeling the need to break that rule is a good first step in his split from the Jedi.

ROTSGrievous’s cough. I think it’s actually a pretty good way to immediately establish that he’s not just a droid, and to sort of anticipate Vader’s breathing. Not sure what about it people hate.

TFARey knows the Falcon better than Han. Besides the fact that Han’s knowledge of the Falcon was never infallible, the things that Rey knows that Han doesn’t are things that have changed about it since Han last had it.

ROThe blue milk cameo is shoved in your face. If you didn’t know that was a “reference,” you wouldn’t think twice about it, because it’s not the focal point of that shot.

TLJHits you over the head with an animal cruelty message. First of all I don’t know how you could say that’s in anyway heavy handed, they stumble on the Fathier cage and let them out because why wouldn’t they, amongst other reasons. Second, I struggle to understand why having even the vaguest hint of distaste for animal cruelty in Star Wars is a bad thing.

ROTSGrievous’s cough. I think it’s actually a pretty good way to immediately establish that he’s not just a droid, and to sort of anticipate Vader’s breathing. Not sure what about it people hate.

It’s partly that he’s just constantly doing it, and it’s more distracting than Vader’s breathing. It’s partly that they explained it in an EU source, which is annoying (Vader’s breathing aside, again). But it’s probably mostly because the character is annoying to begin with so the cough just makes it worse. I think it would bother me less if Vader was doing it.

That Darth is a title, not a name. I mean, why the hell not? First of all, it’s a solid portmanteau (“Dark Lord of the Sith”). Second of all, maybe this is just me, but I think Darth is kind of a funny name, but works fine as a title. Also, despite what people say, there is nothing in the OT that would suggest this shouldn’t be the case.

Disagree. At least in terms of how Obi-wan refers to him which suggests he was called Darth before he turned to evil and that was his first name. Before 1999 it didn’t show up as a title for any other EU characters. It just shows the total lack of imagination and writing skills George had when he scribbled out TPM.

ROTSGrievous’s cough. I think it’s actually a pretty good way to immediately establish that he’s not just a droid, and to sort of anticipate Vader’s breathing. Not sure what about it people hate.

It’s partly that he’s just constantly doing it, and it’s more distracting than Vader’s breathing. It’s partly that they explained it in an EU source, which is annoying (Vader’s breathing aside, again). But it’s probably mostly because the character is annoying to begin with so the cough just makes it worse. I think it would bother me less if Vader was doing it.

I don’t think he does it that much as you say. And any explanation is unnecessary. It’s easy to assume that the technology just isn’t perfect or whatever. As for the character being annoying, I won’t argue about that.

ROTSGrievous’s cough. I think it’s actually a pretty good way to immediately establish that he’s not just a droid, and to sort of anticipate Vader’s breathing. Not sure what about it people hate.

It’s partly that he’s just constantly doing it, and it’s more distracting than Vader’s breathing. It’s partly that they explained it in an EU source, which is annoying (Vader’s breathing aside, again). But it’s probably mostly because the character is annoying to begin with so the cough just makes it worse. I think it would bother me less if Vader was doing it.

I don’t think he does it that much as you say.

If you had spent as much time trying to remove every cough as I had, you wouldn’t say that. :p

That Darth is a title, not a name. I mean, why the hell not? First of all, it’s a solid portmanteau (“Dark Lord of the Sith”). Second of all, maybe this is just me, but I think Darth is kind of a funny name, but works fine as a title. Also, despite what people say, there is nothing in the OT that would suggest this shouldn’t be the case.

Disagree. At least in terms of how Obi-wan refers to him which suggests he was called Darth before he turned to evil and that was his first name.

DominicCobb said:
SWLuke doesn’t mourn his aunt and uncle’s death. This is silly to me. We see he’s clearly broken up about it, then we cut away and when we cut back some time has passed, but he’s still broken up about it and because of it has decided to move on and join the fight against the Empire.

I find the lack of references to Alderaan and its destruction in later scenes and in TESB/RotJ more jarring.

ESBVader being Luke’s father turns it into a soap opera. Star Wars was mythic from the start and this seems to fit that pretty well, amongst other things. This is not a hard one to defend.

It also reduces the Star Wars mythos to a bunch of characters deeply involved with each other. Ancient Greece seems to have more people than the Star Wars galaxy. Except when you go to both the old and the new EU. Then it seems Star Wars has too many people.

TPMThat Darth is a title, not a name. I mean, why the hell not? First of all, it’s a solid portmanteau (“Dark Lord of the Sith”). Second of all, maybe this is just me, but I think Darth is kind of a funny name, but works fine as a title. Also, despite what people say, there is nothing in the OT that would suggest this shouldn’t be the case.

Obi-Wan calls Vader “Darth” when they’re alone. There is no clear indication in the OT that Obi-Wan was mocking Vader. For me, his name is Darth.

ROTSGrievous’s cough. I think it’s actually a pretty good way to immediately establish that he’s not just a droid, and to sort of anticipate Vader’s breathing. Not sure what about it people hate.

It’s pointless and not really properly introduced.

When you first see Vader in Star Wars, you see him coming to the aftermath of a battle, with Rebels corpses in the floor, searching for the plans. He has a full armor, his face is unseen, his voice is modulated, his body movement is limited, he chockes a guy to death, he interrogates Leia, the breathing fits what Lucas was trying to do with this menacing character: he’s human yet he’s not a human.

When you first see Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, he is in his battleship, we don’t know what was he doing, what is he going to do. He isn’t really a Vader-like character, he’s more humanoid than human, he isn’t always coughing and the viewer has no clue as to why is he coughing in the first place. Is he ill? Is it a limitation of whatever process he underwent before he became RotS Grievous? What was Lucas’ point here? The movie never addresses this.

Guys, I hate to break it to you, but you’re all wrong and, as I stated in my first post, no one is going to get me to understand these complaints, because they’re dumb. A better use of the thread would be to list what complaints that you find baffling.

TPMThat Darth is a title, not a name. I mean, why the hell not? First of all, it’s a solid portmanteau (“Dark Lord of the Sith”). Second of all, maybe this is just me, but I think Darth is kind of a funny name, but works fine as a title. Also, despite what people say, there is nothing in the OT that would suggest this shouldn’t be the case.

Perhaps people would be more forgiving of “Darth” if it hadn’t come attached to atrocious names like “Plagueis” “Tyranus”, etc.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

That Darth one isn’t one I’ve ever been able to get worked up about either way, but I guess I understand the complaint.

It’s a small complaint, yes. But it’s one step away from making everyone who’s bad wield a red lightsaber and know how to use Force Lightning™. A further step into lunacy and you get names like Grievous and Tyrannous, and slowly it all starts to look like ideas from a 9 year old’s crayon drawing.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

The funny thing is that when Lucasfilm addresses this complain, they add even more improbable and implausible stuff on top of the original plausible but improbable stuff.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

The funny thing is that when Lucasfilm addresses this complain, they add even more improbable and implausible stuff on top of the original plausible but improbable stuff.

Agreed. The dumb ideas added in RO are the problem, not the original plans that needed to be researched to find the weakness in 1977.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

The funny thing is that when Lucasfilm addresses this complain, they add even more improbable and implausible stuff on top of the original plausible but improbable stuff.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

The funny thing is that when Lucasfilm addresses this complain, they add even more improbable and implausible stuff on top of the original plausible but improbable stuff.

Agreed. The dumb ideas added in RO are the problem, not the original plans that needed to be researched to find the weakness in 1977.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

The funny thing is that when Lucasfilm addresses this complain, they add even more improbable and implausible stuff on top of the original plausible but improbable stuff.

Agreed. The dumb ideas added in RO are the problem, not the original plans that needed to be researched to find the weakness in 1977.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.

This is how you do this thread right.

Perhaps, but it’s more fun to tell you when you’re wrong.

It would be if I was, but I’m not, so it isn’t.

Ah you seem to have confused this thread with the “Most Baffling Claim of a Star Wars Opinion” Thread.

I hate the exhaust port complaint. People say that the Empire should’ve just covered it up, but that defeats the purpose of an exhaust port! It’s established that the port is tiny and apparently only someone with extreme propensity for the force can even hit it. Also, the port wasn’t what destroyed the Death Star. It was a chain reaction explosion caused by a torpedo making it all the way down the port and into the center of the space station. It isn’t like the exhaust port was a self-destruct button.